You're Mine
by ForThoseWhoLikeToMoveItMoveIt
Summary: Captured by the devil herself, Alex has some suffering to do. Rated T for torture and violence/animal cruelty.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Felt sadistic. I love Alex! And once again there needs to be more Madagascar fics.**

**~Natty.**

* * *

_You're Mine._

_~M~_

She captured me after our first successful show. Remember the one in London? Everything had been great that night. The show went fantastic and the circus promoter signed our American Tour contract. We were going back to New York! We were all so thrilled! Maybe that was why I had let my guard down so much and allowed this to happen.

Or maybe it was because I stupidly stepped out of the tent for some air to think. I didn't have the heart to tell Gia that I'd be leaving one day and never coming back. I'm not as bold as the penguins were when they took the plane and shouted that to us from the plane's microphone. I wonder if _they_ can get me out of this mess. I guess now I have to explain where she took me and just how she was able to accomplish it.

It was my own fault. I shouldn't have gone out alone but it was only going to be a few minutes, you know. Just to think.

I guess a few minutes was all she needed to pull a sack over my head and drag me off. She put something cold and metal to my back so I wouldn't struggle. I was going to anyway or at least scream until what happened next. She said something to me that changed everything. I couldn't fight her wishes when she held a gun to my friends' heads. Metaphorically that is.

"_If you do know what is best for your friends, you will come with me."_

So I froze in her grip with the rope around my neck, her holding the bar to it from behind and pulling it harder. I choked a bit quietly as the barrel of her weapon dug more into my shoulder blade. I nodded with little oxygen and she had my full cooperation.

Then there was a click and the trigger was pulled. Dizziness and fatigue soon took me over as I stumbled back a bit into her. She hit me in the back of the neck with her gun painfully and I fell into the grass. I had wanted to scream or roar out my agony but that would have put my friends at risk. I could only grit my teeth and groan a bit.

All I remembered after that was a foot turning me over casually and the bag being ripped off my head. She stood over me with a quirk of ruby lips.

"_Au revoir, lion!"_ She sang before everything went dark.

I woke up again in a daze, both my head and heart pounding on this inside. I wondered which one to listen to.

My brain told me I was drained while my heart told me something was horribly wrong. I could always listen to my heart later I reasoned before trying to turn over in sleep. It was a good thing I was picky with my sleeping positions because I realized I couldn't turn, not without being choked by the thing around my throat holding me back.

Trying to fight it only made it pull harder. The grip didn't seem to be that strong since when I pulled forward it went with me. Then the grip became stronger as it tried to pull me back twice as hard and my head was sent slamming back into the bars behind it. Bars? I couldn't breathe.

"_Let him go." _

My eyes shot open at her voice and the line around my neck released all of the way, the thick rope still around it however only loosened completely. I gasped for air and clutched my neglected windpipe, pulling in as much air as I could before huffing it back out again.

Even though I was no longer being pulled against it, the back of my head hit the bar walls of this enclosure in exhaustion.

As I panted my vision finally cleared enough I saw her standing on the outside of this giant cage I was in. I was able to turn my head behind me to see her guys. Two held the rod connected to the rope around my throat where all the slack was being given and another two held the rods on either side of me that were connected to the ropes around my wrists. Those were pulled tight back against the cage.

She however wasn't too happy about how what little force was being used to restrain my head.

"_Not that much, idiots! He will outsmart you and get away!"_ DuBois complained.

That would have been a good plan had she not foiled the chance at escape I hadn't yet thought of as the restraint on my neck tightened, pulling me back hard against the bars of my prison. Now it was to hold me back rather than choke me. I guess I had to appreciate that.

"_Open the door."_ She instructed with narrowed concentrated eyes, both directed on me.

One of her personnel came over to unlock the door to my cage that was at least ten feet away and slowly she stepped inside, her gaze never leaving me. She looked over my body as a possession, looking over what she could possibly get at first.

Her darkened eyes stopped at my wide innocent ones, her smirk never leaving her mouth while my own muzzle twitched in fear with my frown. Would she kill me? Would she let me go? I knew it would never be the latter. She'd worked too hard to get me to just let it all go now. Unless she magically got a change of heart. Something that by now I was positive she didn't even have.

I stayed silent. It's not like she could understand me anyway. I had been enlightened recently, or make that yelled at by Skipper the fact that humans had no idea what I was saying and that I should, quote, 'shut that hippie trip if I didn't want another dart in my drum circle'.

Whatever that meant I hadn't tried to talk to another human directly since.

But that wasn't the reason I didn't speak to her. The way she looked at me alone had me frightened. What she said next didn't really help.

"_Your name is Alex, correct?"_

My blue eyes widened even more. How could she- Never mind. For once I cursed whoever's dumb idea it was to put my name on every piece of merchandise and give me my own website. My past fame would be the death of me here!

For perhaps would be obvious reasons I wanted to stay on her good side and so I nodded obediently.

DuBois gave a chuckle before returning her disgusted frown. _"How idiotic."_

Well that was harsh. I watched her start to pace in front of me a bit, hands behind her back holding a strap attached to a handle. I gulped at it. It was basically like a whip only thicker.

And more painful.

I winced by just looking at it, following it with my eyes as she patrolled in front of me in some sort of thought. Finally when my throat was dry enough from gulping in fear she spoke again.

"_I have a friend in your America…"_ She began. _"He is how you say…ehhh…a poacher… I am sure he could benefit from you as much as me." _DuBois' eyes trailed over my body again in what I registered as delight. _"If you are perfect on your outside then I have no reason to believe there is otherwise for what is inside of you."_

The strap was placed on her belt much to my relief until something black was pulled. I squinted to see what it was until it being flipped open had the shiny blade in full view.

I gasped and I think she heard me because of her grin as she neared me.

"No!" On instinct I started to pull and get away. The men pulled hard on their sticks to hold me back so I couldn't move. I only succeeded in standing up and then I was unable to escape as I was pulled back against the metal poles that made up the wall behind me.

The knife neared my chest as my backed myself against the bars as if I could back through them. I shook and my eyes watched the blade, not being able to look away from it.

"_If I am not mistaken I know this is where your heart should be…Allow me to mark it for those who do not!"_ She slowly cut a diagonal line over my heart and then crossed it with another.

"AH!" I shouted out but all they heard was a long pained roar.

There was now a bloody 'X' over my heart. I panted as I looked down at it, tears filling my eyes.

She identified another internal organ in me and showed me where it was located with another slice across my golden fur and into my skin.

I groaned through gritted teeth loudly as she did that, gasping out my agony as she spoke of another innard and traced it with her sharp edge.

"_What is wrong lion, can't you roar?" _

And I did as she thrust the tip of the knife into my shoulder. Non-lethal so I wouldn't die, only be in pain. It was then that I realized she wouldn't just kill me. She was going to torture me for everything I put her though for my capture. I would never see my friends again. Even if they did find me the most I'd be is half alive. This torture could go on forever.

So I roared and roared and roared and roared…

…until I lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

_You're Mine._

_~M~_

"Gia! You are sitting and standing and there is not even an audience!" Vitaly scolded, sitting on a crate of his own surrounded by other worried animals. None were as worried as the pacing jaguar.

"Oh I am just so worried!" Gia exclaimed. "I would have never thought it would be like Alex to run away!"

"He is scared-cat. Does not surprise me." Vitaly scoffed.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Marty cut in with narrowed eyes, defending his missing best friend. He knew Alex and running away wasn't the lion's thing. "Alex wouldn't run from nothin'! Too stubborn to! He wouldn't just run off without tellin' nobody! We got a little more trust than that, alright? So just lay off man!"

Vitaly glared darkly back at the zebra with his usual scowl on his face but stayed silent, only letting out another scoff as he let it go. It didn't matter. Nothing could change his mind about that lion. He did not trust him. Everything had been twisted since that 'bee-hived lioness' came along. Sure they had gotten the contract for the American tour but they could go nowhere to pursue it for two reasons that irked him horribly. Those little birds had the train halted and would not move it anywhere and the second was that the remaining three friends refused to go anywhere until the lion was found. To him they were all wasting time away from their future as a glorious circus. Why did they need those sharply dressed birds in charge of anything? Why did they need lion? Both were useless.

The zebra was fumed, sitting on a crate with his arms folded tight. His lips were pursed into an even tighter scowl and an angry expression. Marty was upset, more than he's ever been.

"Maybe you should try to relax instead of getting worked up." Melman suggested, trying to be helpful.

"I ain't worked nowhere!" Marty said a bit crossly, tilting his head sideways. "It's this cat that's working down on me!" A hoof was pointed over at the tiger. "He workin' down my last nerve if he don't stop talkin' 'bout Alex like that!"

"All I say is true!" Vitaly huffed.

"Ya don't know 'em to be talkin' bout 'em like you do!" The zebra stood, glaring at the orange and black striped feline. He didn't care if he did get knives thrown at him, no one was going to talk about his friend that way! Even if that friend just so happened to be missing! Heck ESPECIALLY not then! Alex was in trouble! He could feel it way on down in his gut and he wasn't about to let someone else tell him no different! That was HIS best friend out there! No one knew that lion like he did and he knew Alex well enough to know that the cat wouldn't just run off somewhere! Even back in Africa when Alex was going to fix the water problem by going off that reserve, the lion came and found him first. Alex also announced to a crowd that he was going off river. Bottom line is, the cat liked attention and Alex wouldn't do ANYTHING unless someone knew he was doing it! Point: Alex ain't ran nowhere!

"I know enough of lion to know he is runner." The tiger said, large arms folded.

Gloria stepped in, hands on her hips. "Let's say Alex did run away."

"He didn't!" Marty added.

The hippo continued. "What on earth would he be running away from anyway? Now we all know there's nothing wrong with that lion but you seem to know something different what with how you're talking."

Vitaly was taken aback by this accusation but didn't deny it. Instead he said nothing and only looked away with his glare. He didn't have to speak of anything and he had nothing to hide. It was the lion who did. Lions were untrustworthy creatures. They would throw a knife in one's back! _Lions_. Pah! They were _no_ good.

"I know nothing of lion." The tiger said simply.

"Well it sounds like you do." Gloria crossed her arms with an accusing glare. Then she realized this cat wouldn't talk if it felt threatened so she just sighed. "Look if you know where Alex went it would really be helpful if you told us."

"Yeah! Where's Alex!" Marty demanded the tiger and pointed a hoof at the hippo. "She knows we know you know where Alex knows he's hidin'!"

"What are you talking about?" Melman raised a brow at the zebra.

The zebra shrugged. "I don't know! But he does!" Marty pointed to the tiger.

"I told you I know nothing!" Vitaly snapped.

Gia who was watching this by the tent opening came over to them. She had been looking out to see if the lion would return but she saw nothing in the dark. She was worried now that she had gotten to know Alex but she also knew Vitaly and something was very off. "Vitaly, if you do know you would surely tell me, no?"

The tiger looked a bit unprepared for that, and a flash of what looked like hurt in his green eyes before he hardened them and looked away. "I would if I knew yes but I do not."

"He does not know." The jaguar reassured the zebra, hippo, and giraffe, with a sigh. Alex was missing and Vitaly was lying to her. What was she to do for either of them? She did not know.

"If he doesn't know then where the heck is Alex?" Marty asked and didn't get an answer from anyone. This was just all kinds of horrible! "Man I need a break! I'm out!" The zebra trotted for the tent exit and was almost out when he was slapped back by a black flipper. "Hey!"

"Don't touch anything!" Skipper instructed, walking through the tent and lowering his flipper.

Rubbing his muzzle with his hoof, Marty frowned. "Well can I touch the ground!"

"No! This is a crime scene! No one goes outside! We don't want you tampering with the cold hard evidence!" The leader bird told them.

"Why's it cold and hard?" Melman asked, curious.

"It's freezing out there, that's why! Anymore questions?" Skipper asked sarcastically, not really wanting anymore.

Marty raised his hoof.

There was a sigh from the leader bird. "Yes Stripes?"

"Just _how_ is out there a _crime scene _if I may ask?" The zebra asked.

"Normally I wouldn't allow it but I like you! So everyone outside pronto, follow the tall penguin, hurry animals!" Skipper instructed and soon all the circus animals and three present Zoosters followed the penguin lieutenant outside.

Vitaly, Gia, Stefano, Sonya and King Julien on her back, Marty, Gloria, Melman, Mason and Phil in the King of Versailles suit, Esmeralda, Esperanza and Ernestina, Jonesy, Freddie, and Frankie, Maurice and Mort, were all led along the side of the circus tent behind the yellow police tape.

The 'crime scene' was taped off completely, there were traffic cones to mark important points and Private was standing in the middle of it trying to work a LED light to find finger prints or blood. He finally flicked it on but it was pointed it toward his face so it shined straight in his eyes. The private screamed and fell to the ground.

Rico who was blinking nearby, twitching slightly, placed a traffic cone over the fallen penguin. "CRIME SCENE!" He announced loudly.

"You birds sure got alotta free time on ya." Marty commented as he looked around.

"Thanks!" The leader accepted it as a compliment, walking past the tape line with his flippers behind his back.

"I have-a a question!" Stefano raised his flipper behind the tape.

"What is it, seal?" Skipper asked, a bit annoyed.

"I am a sea-a lion." The sea lion corrected.

"Your question." The leader urged.

Stefano went on. "What-a is all this?"

"This, is the scene of a crime. Very important business so it's highly important that nothing is touched." Skipper said. "Not even the tape."

Maurice and Melman who had their paws/hooves leaning on the yellow tape, looked at each other and quickly backed away hoping no one noticed.

"And what so important makes this one little area a crime scene?" Gloria asked, a bit skeptic on listening to these penguins.

"Good question, doll." The leader turned to her. "And the answer to it is this: This little area was the last place your friend was seen alive."

"_What?_" Melman exclaimed.

"I know I'm stealin' lines here but _what!?_" Marty added in. "What are you tryin' to say?!"

"It would be the second reason we haven't left for America yet, besides the disappearance of that lion that I was hoping we could all move on from." Skipper said.

"This whole thing is about Alex?" The hippo raised a brow.

The leader scoffed. "Hasn't it always been?"

Kowalski snorted in agreement and gave his commander a high five.

"Your friend didn't run away." Skipper went on seriously. "He was cat-napped."

Dramatic music played and Mort's little voice squeaked. "Oh no!"


	3. Monsters Alike

**Author's Note: Gah, yes, yes, poor Alex. XD I love how you all keep saying that. Heh. It's funny. Love you guys! Review for Alex's freedom in case he never gets it! X3**

**~Natty.**

* * *

_You're Mine._

_~M~_

Alex grunted as he slowly woke again to something dripping down on his nose. Tiredly he looked up to see a leaking pipe and then another drop of water fell down on him, this time into his eyes. He finally decided to just close them. What was the point of keeping them open? He didn't want to see this place…

So his blue eyes shut, hoping to get back to sleep. It was with fail. His body ached too much. It'd been a whole week of this; Of no food, of torture, of constant pain and taunting that he would never see the light of day again. He knew she was right but did she have to keep reminding him?

DuBois was crazy. She was starving him and whipping him and strangling him with that freaking wire rope noose. It had come to the point where the lion just wanted to hang himself with it and call it a day! She cut him with that stupid knife on various places on his body to outline the parts of him that were going to cut off or out. He wanted to vomit and a few times he did! That only got him more whips.

That wasn't even the worse of any of it! It was the way she looked at him! Many times he'd wake up feeling eyes on him and he'd look up to find her there outside of the cage staring at him! And with such a look of…accomplishment and pride. She looked at him almost greedily like he was a…

"Piece of meat." _Her_ voice finished his thoughts.

The lion jumped in fear at the surprise, looking up and there she was outside the cage like all those times before, staring at him with that same look. He recoiled back on instinct in fright.

The woman stood there the same way she always did except for one distinction and Alex thought he was hallucinating or seeing things. She had a steak in her hand.

A growl escaped the lion's throat, one of hunger that he couldn't control. It just slipped out. He hadn't even controlled it. It was instinct and Alex was terrified by it. No, no, no, no, no, he didn't eat steak anymore! He ate fish! Nice, no conscious, better than eating other smart animals, FISH!

She couldn't do this to him! Not after he had learned to control his hunger way back on Madagascar! No!

"I can see it in your body, you have not had this. It does show in a lion, you know." The evil woman opened the cage, stepping inside with the raw food. "What are you doing not eating it?"

As she neared him, Alex tried to sink back into the bars behind him, kicking his feet against the ground and trying to pull the restraints on his arms. Now they were metal cuffs, specially designed for his strength. _'You cannot break your way through them.'_ They were attached to the cage bars above his head.

The lion tried everything, yanking on them and trying to turn away his head but she stepped on his tail between his legs, making him grimace. He really had no choice so he looked up at her helplessly, trying not to eye the food in front of him no matter how much his stomach twisted and burned with his hunger. He couldn't eat it! He was a Fish-atarian! He wouldn't! He wasn't a- but she was- and he knew he wasn't a monster.

Sadly DuBois new that he was and she would indeed use that against him.

"Lion you have lost your glow without this. It is because of your friends? Ha!" DuBois scoffed. "You will have no choice but to turn eventually. It is the natural balance, a predator's way."

Not his way! Alex argued in his head. He would never. Not again for as long as he lived! He made that promise to himself so long ago! He would never eat anything other than fish for his friends' sakes. He would never hurt them because he had more will power than that! He could fight it forever! There was no way he was ever going to-

The woman pretended to drop the steak before catching it. In that time the lion had lunged for it, only to be stopped by his chains.

Alex stared wide eyed. Did he just do that? How did she get him to-

"You see? You need it to survive." DuBois told him. "You do want to do that do you not?"

No he didn't! Not if he had to do it this way! He'd rather die! He'd rather-

Another growl came from the lion as she thrust the steak out in front of his mouth, so close but still out of reach. The smell of it filled his senses as his nose twitched in a frenzy, desperate for more of that beautiful smell.

Alex tried to shake the smell out of his nostrils but wafting it only made the feeling worse. He was SO hungry…

DuBois pulled the slab of meat back, grinning at the lion's actions. She knew she was right and was loving every second of it. "Come on, lion. I know you are hungry. Who will know?"

It was so tempting… He couldn't take it. He'd lunged at her for it if he wasn't held back by these cuffs! What was happening to him?! Why was it!? How was she getting into his head like this?

"It will just be between us… Nobody is having to know…" DuBois urged, letting the end of the flesh brush against his nose.

Alex brought his tongue up to lick and lap at his nose, the taste bursting on his taste buds. Morality left him and was replaced by carnal need.

She saw the wild look in his eyes and was satisfied as she finally tossed it to him, the lion catching it in between sharp jaws and starting to chew it up into his mouth.

The lion was almost halfway done with it before something sobered him out of his predatory state. DuBois pet under his chin with sick admiration. Alex stopped and looked up, frightened once more. This time of himself. Some minds thought alike, two killers one in the same. Alex thought he'd be sick.


	4. Missing Pieces

**Author's Note: Review and you'll get the next Alex scene! If not…well…poor Alex will be DuBois' prisoner forever. *evil laughter***

**~Natty.**

* * *

_You're Mine._

_~M~_

"What do you mean this was the last place Alex was seen alive?" Marty questioned. "Why wouldn't he be seen alive no more anywhere else?"

Skipper waited for someone to explain it to the monochromatic steed. He knew someone was going to. Hippies never shut up, always trying to explain some hippie stuff to someone else. He was right in his reasoning apparently.

Melman bent his long neck and head down to whisper something in the zebra's ear, explaining what the penguin was trying to say.

The zebra listened for a moment concentrated, then his ears dropped and his eyes widened. He shook his head and tried to listen again. When it was repeated he pulled back.

"What! Alex isn't no doornail! I know he's still kicking no matter where he is!" Marty exclaimed affirmatively, and then frowned. "Uh where'd you say he was again?"

"Kowalski?" Skipper looked to the tall penguin.

Kowalski nodded and set up a projector and small standing up tarp. "Can everyone see alright?"

"_No!"_ King Julien's answered far back and distant in the crowd of circus animals.

"Close enough." The leader penguin took the remote from the lieutenant's flippers and hit play.

The slideshow started on its first picture. It was of Alex posing.

"That's Alex!" Marty pushed forward through the mass of circus animals (much to their annoyance at his pushing) that had scrunched up together tightly to see the tiny screen.

"Thank you Stripes for your completely not-obvious input." Skipper said with his back to the animals and then turned to them, standing beside the projector. "Now, anyone else know who this is here?"

"_No!"_ King Julien's voice once again spoke up unseen in the back of the group.

Gia raised her paw to answer.

"You're up, doll." The leader bird picked on her.

Gia nodded and lowered her paw before speaking, a frown on her face. "That is Alex. He is missing."

Skipper nodded. "Good job, you're way ahead of all of us! So who here would like to say a few words on the deceased psychotic lion's behalf?"

"Hey, I told you he's kicking!" Marty cut in annoyed and with a scowl on his gray muzzle.

"Well you can't blame a penguin for trying." Skipper shrugged and went on, clicking the remote to go to the next slide which was a question mark. "I think we've already established that the big cat's not here." He flipped to the next slide. "Which, brings us to our next slide…" The projector now showed a blacked out silhouette of DuBois' head shape. "Who is to blame for it."

Vitaly sighed audibly, ready to step forward. If the sharply dressed birds had already figured him out then he may as well come clean and not hide like a frightened lion. To his surprise, he hadn't been figured out as the slide wasn't of him but of some….woman? What was this? Some joke to these birds? A growl formed in the tiger's throat as his green eyes darkened a bit.

"I-a have-a a question!" Stefano piped up.

Skipper glanced at him. "What is it seal?"

"I am-a a sea lion!"

"Whatever." The leader shrugged.

Stefano went on, pointing at the unknown lady on the projector. "Who is-a that?"

Skipper looked at the projection with a raised brow. "Chantel DuBois, why? You animals don't know who that is either?"

The three horse triplets Esmeralda, Esperanza, and Ernestina looked between each other. They murmured with shrugs, each sister shaking their heads.

"_No!"_ King Julien called up as an answer to the front of the crowd again, heard but yet again not seen.

Gia shrugged. "Who is she?"

"She is the captain of the Monaco Animal Control." Kowalski informed them. "She has a perfect case record up to date, extremely dangerous."

The jaguar stepped forward, intrigued but frightened of what she was being told. "You think she has something to do with Alex's disappearing?"

"Sweetheart, we don't think so." Skipper cut in but didn't finish his statement for reasons unknown. He just left it there. So there came the assumptions.

King Julien's voice came through the crowd, distant and not seen. _"So what you are saying is she is not having to do with the disappearance?" _

Skipper looked in the crowd for the shifty lemur king but couldn't find the guy. "What? No. We KNOW she has something to do with it, we-"

"_Oh okay I was just checking."_ Julien replied again, nowhere to be seen.

The leader put a flipper to the bridge of his beak in annoyance. "Twinkle toes, where are you?"

"Hm? Oh I am here." Julien came out from the crowd of circus animals finally, pushing through on the back of his hairy bear queen. They went under the yellow police tape.

Skipper glared at the ring-tail with his flippers on his hips. "What were you doing way back there for if you had so much input and things to say?"

"Who is having things to say? I was just coming up here because it was starting to be stinking… My love is very gassy you know!" The king pet the head of Sonya as her stomach rumbled for emphasis. Julien frowned. "I am thinking we are needing a bush…but it is too late I am also thinking..."

"_Thank-you_ for your most unhelpful input!" Skipper said sarcastically. "I'd say it was unproductive but apparently that's not so…" He made a face of disgust. "Speaking of, hey lemur I think your girlfriend left you a present back there."

"Ooh she did? She should not have!" Julien exclaimed as he turned around on the bears back to look over the edge of her tail. He frowned and his voice was flat now, nose twitching as he sniffed the air. "She really should not have…"

"Yay!" Mort clapped as Maurice stared down at the little lemur, both of them on the sidelines.

"Moving on…" The leader penguin drawled with a sigh. "What slide were we on?"

"The one with the dreadful woman, sir." Private replied helpfully.

"Right." Skipper went on and slapped a flipper onto the paper screen. "Chantel DuBois! An enemy to us all!" He exclaimed, throwing out his flippers. Then his gaze rested on Gloria, Marty, and Melman. "More importantly and apparently more so to that over-sized kitten friend of yours."

"You think she took Alex?!" Marty exclaimed in alarm.

"That's not good!" Melman added in.

Skipper shook his head. "No, we don't."

The zebra sighed in relief, leaning on the giraffe as he relaxed completely. So long as that crazy woman didn't have Alex then everything would be-

"We KNOW she took the lion!" Skipper finished.

"WHAT!" Marty screeched, throwing out his hooves and hitting Melman in the face.

"Ow!" The giraffe proceeded to run his cheek with his own hoof.

"How could she have taken him!" Marty questioned. "We were all with him…uh weren't we?"

Melman lowered his hoof from his hurt face, shaking his head. "I was with Gloria."

Gloria shrugged. "I was with Melman."

Marty frowned and rubbed the back of his mohawk. "I was with you guys…"

The hippo raised a brow, putting her hands on her hips. "Well who was Alex with?"

"He was with me." Gia stepped forward, a finger raised with her paw. "I am sorry I did not watch him better." The jaguar admitted. "I was so happy about the show and trapèze Americano that I was pretending to be flying on the ropes again! I do not know what I said because the next thing I know he is running from me and he is out the tent…" She left out a part of her story and finished with her own shrug. "I do not know what happened then…"

Vitaly was wide eyed. How could she have done that for him? Covered like such for him? Gia knew good and well that he had been the last one to see the lion before he disappeared. He also knew that if known he would possibly be blamed. Perhaps it was his fault that the girly lion was gone and he has accepted that. Yet he could not understand why she would lie, she did not need to lie, not for him. He did not deserve it. As far as the tiger was concerned, if the lion did turn up dead then it would have been his fault. He should have never pushed the lion into the woman's trap. Of course it was too late for that. The lion could be already disposed of by now. Was he?


	5. Freedom Fighter

_You're Mine._

_~M~_

"Nnono! Please!" Alex pleaded in pain. "AH!" Tears were in his eyes as she harshly clipped off another one of his claws.

DuBois tried to get as close a cut to skin as possible. The longer the lion claw the better. She got the rusty clipper close to skin and even more so. She was actually clipping into the tips of his fingers.

The French woman had done nearly each claw on his left paw save for his pinky which Alex was desperately fighting to keep.

"NO!" The lion shouted and thrashed in his bindings, the tight cuffs around his wrists digging into the skin under his fur as well. It hurt. It hurt so much. The clipper was dull and when DuBois couldn't clip his nail off, she'd yank on them until they did. It was torture. He could feel the blood running down the paddings on his paws.

No matter how hard Alex tried to pull away and kick his legs, the woman managed to close the clipper around his pinky claw. This was one of the times where the clipper wouldn't cut through it so DuBois pulled and twisted his claw until it dislodged.

Alex screamed out in agony, hanging his head. He was so weak and tired. He couldn't sleep because she made sure he couldn't. She kept him awake at night as perhaps another torture method, he didn't know.

The lion couldn't eat. Ever since she'd forced him to eat that one steak and he'd saw how satisfied it made her and how much it made him similar to her, he'd refused the food she gave him. She only fed him steaks. He'd never eat one again. No matter how starving he was. It'd been three days so far without food, just torture and more anguish.

He missed his friends and hoped they were alright. A part of him wanted them to forget about him and stay far away from here and another part of him screamed desperately for their help. He didn't want to die here. Not like this. Not by the hands of DuBois, this crazy woman.

Alex was positive she would kill him, not now but soon. She said it herself that she wanted his head after all. He wondered how he'd look on a plaque but then he wondered why he would think of something so sick.

He would die in a few days' time. He was only being kept around for the little things that were to be collected that were valuable while he was alive. Claws, fur, ears, teeth, skin, meat, internal organs…

DuBois was going to tear him apart. The rest of him would be shipped off in every which direction, to some of her poacher friends or to kiosks and sleazy gift shops. His head would be all hers.

This was all sick but Alex didn't feel like exchanging throwing up for another whipping.

With his head down he looked over his body. It was a brutal mess. Scars, lash marks, burns, dried and still running blood. His tail was broken from being constantly stamped on when he didn't do what she told him. Open your mouth, turn your face to the side, chin up, eat the steak, stop voiding your stomach, do not fight…

All she did was examine him and look over him like a personal possession. She poked and prodded at him, hit him on the snout when he refused to make eye contact. Alex was going through hell. He just wanted to be free again but as the rusted clipper closed around his thumb claw on his opposite untouched paw, his faith slipped by the second.

Alex gritted his teeth and turned away his head, shutting his eyes tight in preparation for the pain. Any second now she'd tug out his sixth claw. She would twist and clamp down on it, pulling it from his flesh and leaving his furry finger agonized and bleeding. Then it happened.

"AGH!" The lion clenched every muscle with a groan. A slight growl escaped him that he couldn't control. He hated this woman. He hated that he made him hate her. She brought out the violence and evil in him that a wild animal is supposed to have. This wasn't supposed to be him. He didn't hate humans, he loved them. He didn't hate life but now he found himself wishing for it to end.

Alex the lion wanted to die. His wish would be granted if DuBois had all say in it but to him it wasn't quick enough. He wanted all the pain, emotional and physical to stop. He wanted to be free of all his troublesome emotions, of the pain inflicted upon him by this evil woman that held him captive.

More importantly he wanted his friends but he found himself not caring about them. He only cared about himself right now selfishly. Of course they would be heavily impacted if he died but he didn't feel he could hang on much longer if at all. He couldn't go on in so much pain like this. He couldn't let DuBois win. He would have some say in this one way or another. He would decide his own fate.

So he lifted his head as DuBois finished extracting all his claws finally. His expression was unreadable, possibly blank. He was in his own thoughts now and the pain he was feeling numb along with his own coherent senses. He blocked them all out. He didn't even listen as the sinful woman spoke.

"_The claw of a lion, very valuable…"_ DuBois sang as she placed the last bloodied claw in the cloth, rolling it up and tying it closed for safe keeping.

Alex paid no attention to her as she exited his large cage or as she disappeared from the dark and damp room of concrete. He had a restraint around his neck and so he leaned forward and then even more forward until it put a strain on his own breathing. He stayed like that, his friends circling his thoughts and so did his life as he gave it all up in his self-hanging. His mind grew fuzzy and he slipped his eyes shut to fall asleep. It would be painless. Just a few moments and he would be free of this pain. In a few moments he would no longer be DuBois's prisoner.


	6. Only A Lion

**Author's Note: Aw man… Here's an update guys! **

**~Natty.**

* * *

_You're Mine._

_~M~_

"Kitty, kitty, what do I do with you?" Chantel DuBois chuckled as she held up the lion's face to face hers.

Alex screamed into his new muzzle, muffling protests and exclamations. His plan of action had failed. Not only was he being punished by DuBois for his little attempt but now he had to forever dwell on what he tried to do to himself. The lion tried to commit suicide.

It was a one shot thing. The restraint that was around his neck made a great noose and all he had to do was lean forward to end the agony being given to him. He'd leant forward and slowly his air was cutting off, it wasn't painful and so he had leant a little farther. More of his air was taken away.

The lion had shut his eyes and accepted the fate. He couldn't deal with this anymore. He couldn't handle being a tortured prisoner. He was always one to love life, it being beautiful for him in his eyes and for it to suddenly only be rendered into pain and suffering, Alex couldn't understand it. It wouldn't register in his mind as a part of life.

This wasn't life, being tortured and tormented everyday by someone so heartless. In his eyes this was what death was and so what was the trouble with helping his fate along?

He would die anyway here in this cage, in this dark concrete room. He hadn't seen the sun for so long. How long had it been since DuBois captured him? Days? Weeks? A month?

The cat had no concept of time here. This place was timeless and reeked of death. How many other animals had died here? How many other innocent lives has she ruined down here in this place?

Alex had only been drifting off into suffocation for a moment before the door burst open. Faintly he heard it. He was so close to being free but she'd intercepted his attempt.

DuBois saw what he was trying to do and with an annoyed growl she threw open the cage door, rushing inside. She grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head up from his self-hanging. The air flowed through him fully again and he was breathing. He was _breathing_.

The evil woman had saved his life just to be the one to end it when she decided. She was in charge of his life.

She ripped the restraint off his neck to ensure that an incident like this wouldn't repeat itself and she went over to her tools.

"Nice try but you cannot get away from me so easy." DuBois laughed with her back to him, going through her supplies.

Gasping for breath, Alex watched her look through her torture cases. They ranged in size and she picked up a medium sized one. Her fingers opened it up with a click and hiss of air.

DuBois took out a muzzle, and she had put it on him. Now he was wearing it, trying to shake and maneuver it off. It was useless and the lion let out a sad whine.

Alex's eyes looked up at her as she stood directly in front of him. She stared at him with an unreadable look before it turned into an angry snarl.

The lion cried out a muffle as she hit him in the side of the face with her fist. The woman had a powerful right hook. The cat felt blood pool in his mouth. Unable to open his mouth he was forced to swallow it with a look of disgust and a grimace.

DuBois glared down at him. She was furious and Alex knew he was in for it.

"Bozos!" She called her group of henchmen bitterly. Her team was in a line in front of her in less than a few seconds at attention. "Bring the prod now!" DuBois ordered.

The men saluted her and one of them went off to retrieve the…prod? The lion wondered with a head tilt.

DuBois turned to face the lion once more with a smirk. The one she did when she had the upper hand on someone.

Something was going to happen to him. She was going to do something to him. Alex started to panic, his heart rate picking up as he tried to pull on his cuffs. No….no…please no! He couldn't take any more pain. Why couldn't it all stop? Why can't she just kill him already?

Alex let out a sob as tears fell from his eyes. He wasn't strong enough for this. He wasn't THIS strong willed. He knew he'd saved the day countless times before and his friends, he was always the leader, the one who led things to victory. He was one for success, he was an achiever. He had gone above and beyond before but when it came down to it at the end of the day…he was just a lion. He was an animal. He didn't have much say in the world.

Alex the lion was being broken as much as it pained him to admit it. This woman was too much to go through. He was only a lion, just a simple wild cat and he was falling apart.

One of DuBois's lackey's smacked the other as the one was caught staring admiringly at their captain. The other one returned with an object. It looked like a metal pole with a button on the side. It was handed to the French woman.

DuBois's ruby lips quirked once again and staring into the lion's blue eyes for their reaction, her thumb clicked the button of the stick. She watched the cat's eyes widen in fear as the end of it sparked blue with electricity.

Alex screamed into the muzzle as the first burst of electrical currents went through his body like a wave of sweltering pain. His fur singed and he smelled the scent of his own burning flesh. Another zap and his muffled shouts became even louder.

Upstairs in the cages, the animals being held up there whimpered at the sounds coming from down in the basement. A brown nosed puppy covered its eyes with its paws, covering its face with a frightened whine.


End file.
